Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1887-04-12
THE STATEMENT.

kissane, when a man of about twenty
eight, was induced by two expert criminals
named Findley and Cole to commit a Sc
ries of forgerles, aud in 1855 was convicted
in New York and sentenced by Recorder
Smith to two and a half years in Sing Sing.
He was by no means a hardened criminal,
and when called OH before sentence TO make
plea in extenuation, delivered the follow
ing remarkable speech
Bdg Il Please the Court: 1 shall avail myself OF
the opportunity now offered ft being the last
shall possibly ever hayel tomake lew remarks,
and wish il distinctly understood that what |
am about 10 say is in no way whatever intended
by me as suing for mercy; on the contrary, |
feel that l deserve any penalty which the court
may deem proper to infict. Ny lie, sir, has not,
as some Of the.pubic prints set forth, been one
continued succession OF crime.
Two years ago was living with my family In
Ohio in peace cOntentment and happiness,
known and respected by large circle of ae-
quaintances aud friends, without one blot, one
stain upon my name. But in an evil hour there
came about my dwelling those who had blighted
and blasted many home before. snail Eot
enter into the details of the wretchedness and
desolation they have brought upon me and mine,
and which, sir, have been the means of bring
ing me before you this day 3: also, of sending my
family, h0useless, homeless and pennies wan
derers on the face of the earth, ashamed OF
the very name they bear-a name handed TO
me unblemished and as untarnished as the
driven snow.
May God forgive them! never, never can.
And yet. sir, it was my own fault. Endowed
with all the feelings and senses Of manhood
should have known that to have been breathed
upon by them was death; that the very atmos-
phere That surrounded them was as poisonous
as that which surrounded the upas tree.
should have Indignantly spurned them from me,
as you would, sir, the most loathesome reptile
that crawls upon the face of the earth. Had
paused. had / pondered, had not been here.
1 must have been in a dream, a sort OF spell,
when permitted the ignis fatuus TO lead me TO
destruction and, though | stand here charged
with and convicted OF crime, yet my heart tells
me, and feel il and know it TO be true, that
have no sympathy with Il; that have no feel
ing or emotion in common with Its perpetrators.
Had paused. had pOndered, you, sir, would
have been spared the disagreeable duty which
devolyes upon you this day and can fancy
no duty that is more irksome to an enlightened
and humane Judge than that OF eonsigning a
fellOW-creature to a living tomb. But the edicts
of the law must be fulfilled. The consequences
must fail on those who come antagonistic to it
and cheerfully, gladly, yes joyfully, would go
| hence, to wherever it may please you to consign
me did feel that | might yet live to return re-
! generated, untarnished; that l could once more
| take that proud station among family and
friends which then held.
/ But alas, sir, this cannot be, and the over
! Thelming consciousness OF 1t intlcts more mis-
cry and wretchedness upon me than any pen
atty that the law can infiiCt There is no escape
from ones feelings except through the portals
of the grave could escape from the railroad
cars al the risk of my life. as hasbeen given in
testimony and l could lay out in the wild
woods night after night with no covering but
the canopy of heaven, but there was one ever
watchful companion which / could not avoid
it was the constant prompting of the heart
What have you been? what infamy and dis
grace have you entailed upon yourself9
could hear it in the leaves that rustled over my
head. l could hear it in every sound that was
borne upon the breeze. The whole world may
forgive me, but / cannot forgive myself.
had hoped. sir, to reach some distant eoun-
try, where those who had known me could
know me no more-where / could have settled
down among strangers, and once more have
been a man among men. The r-present
memory of the past would have been a bright
light to guide me in the path,of rectitude in all
the future, and would have illuminated the
rock upon which Twas cast away. Providence
has otherwise decreed, and am here; but were
l permitted to depart this day. and whenever il
shall please the powers that be to permit me to
depart, such shall be my course-I trust wiser
and better man.